[Leica] Lost Faith in Leica

[ruben at rhodos.dk (Ruben)]

The last statistic I read on cars in my rather small country was that only
two car brands Volvo and Mercedes had over 50% registered cars still running
on the street - and because of the high spare part price the Volvo owners
had during those 20 years all most payed for an all new car in additional
repair costs though they we still believing that Volvo was the most reliable
car on the market. Except for devoloping countries Denmark has one of the
oldest average age on cars because of a 180 % tax with an additional 25% tax
on top put on new cars at the first registration  and as we pay about 50-60%
in income tax i guess we keep our cars for a little longer :-) Anyway I can
not imagine that Jags should be worse of with Ford ownership. Some periods -
very black periods - were Jaguar was owned by the British state - the build
quality was so awfull that it was said that you need at least 2 Jags to be
able to drive them regually as one would always be at the repair shop.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com>
To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2004 1:45 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Lost Faith in Leica


> Is Leitz more interested in medical optics, microscopes, etc.? If Leica
> is just a side interest, then it's probably seen as more of a liability
> than an asset. I got my stomach scoped last month with a Pentax optical
> thing they stuck down my esophagus. I'm beginning to pay more attention
> to what the optical companies are doing for REAL money these days. With
> so many professional 35mm users going with Canon and digital, I can't
> blame Leitz for not wanting to pour R&D money into the photography
> division.
>
> Remember when a Volvo would last 11 years and American cars were
> designed to fall apart after 5? Well, Japanese cars now last 15 years,
> and American cars are still designed to fall apart after 5. So American
> and Swedish cars are not in as much demand. Jaguars fall apart after 5
> (Ford helped that along).
>
> The Leicas that are being produced now (MP and M7) are as good as it
> gets in rangefinders. They don't need to be better. And my Leicas will
> live way longer than I will (I'll bet your digital won't). And that's
> what *really* matters. ;-)
>
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Douglas
> M. Sharp
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 6:27 PM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: [Leica] Lost Faith in Leica
>
> I have been a fan, admirer, fanatic , collector, lover and user of Leica
> products for over 20 years
> now, but now I've seen what's being announced for the coming Photokina I
> think Leica has now just about completely lost touch with what is going
> on. Unless they really pull the cat out of the bag with something
> fantastic, surprising and affordable I think this will be the beginning
> of the end..
>
> What with the resurrection of Zeiss Ikon, the new  Nikon F6, the Bessa
> R2A and R3A, RD-1 Fuji with their four thirds and all the other
> developments like ever cheaper Pro-sumer and Pro DSLRs, it begins to
> seem that Leica has now totally missed the boat, and that it was the
> last boat too.
>
> Maybe Zeiss/Cosina have been working together on their project for a
> couple
> of years, but they at least didn't keep saying when it would be
> introduced and then postponing it for a year or so. And they have thrown
> down what appears to be a gauntlet aimed to challenge Leicas last ditch
> defence, quality. The digital M and R could have been out years ago the
> M7 too, none of this is new technology. Is Zeiss/Cosina going to become
> a new standard for quality and innovation? They've got the money, the
> technology and obviously the people too, to get things moving. What they
> don't have is the complacency and arrogance which still governs Leicas
> policies.
> Ok they still make excellent lenses, at a price. But other people can do
> it too and nearly as good for
> half the price. What could the others do for prices in the rarified
> regions of Leica glass prices?.
> I think Cosina has proved that they can at relatively reasonable prices.
> Are we really going to put up with paying a 50% higher price for a red
> dot or
> a couple of lpm more. Everyone says " well of course you see the
> difference when you project slides taken with Leica lenses" or "
> Enlarging to such and such a size is only possible from Leica negs"
> but just how many people are still projecting and enlarging these days.
> Scanning, printing, internet galleries  - all digital - we all know that
> this is where most of us are, where we are going, or at least being led
> by other, also serious, manufacturers.
>
> Why won't those peoplein Solms climb down from their Ivory Tower and
> start looking  reality (and survival) in the face.
> Or are they just waiting until the right buyer comes along to pull them
> out of their lethargy and make them competitive. And I do not mean
> another handbag factory.
>
> It may, hopefully, be too soon to say this, but I will miss them all the
> same.
> Douglas
>
> eric schrieb:
>
> > How much faith do we all have in a R digital back to fufill our
> > digital needs?
> > Or are most planning to go canon/nikon digital route?
> >
> > Eric _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
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